Pathfinder Rise of the Runelords 5th Anniversary Edition

Our team of intrepid adventurers continued their DOMINATION of the Thistletop Dungeon. Traversing three dungeon levels and defeating all-comers. A few things of note:
1. Gavin acquired a new horse named Shadowmist (Ref Advanced Horse Pathfinder Bestiary P. 177 and 294) from the goblins who were abusing it.
2. Droli looks magnificent in her Dented Goblin Crown and Silk dress…
3. Goblin Harem’s are strange places…
4. Droli adopted two nice young goblins found in a cage in Thistletop dungeon level one.
5. Our heroes are cheapskates, a mercenary was willing to turn to their side for a mere 500 gold, and they attacked him instead.
6. Nualia and her Yeth Hound put up a great fight, but were dispatched handily in the end.
7. Our brave heroes put a piece of gold into a small slot at the base of an enchanted pillar. They were rewarded with a secret entrance into the chambers that included Runelord Karzoug’s communication room and the prison of Malfeshnekor the ancient Greater Barghest imprisoned since the Star Stone struck down on Golarion.

Of note is the encounter with an ancient Aztlanti Lich calling himself Ybol. He rescued the party from some roving Aboleth. His display of power in annihilating the Aboleth was without compare. He discussed with the party his search for rare necromantic books written by the Runelord of Sloth in ancient times containing eldritch knowledge of old. He imparted an amulet to the party to call him should they find such a book – along with promise of a reward. He took his leave on the back of a giant reanimated skeletal dragon.

Upon arriving back in Sandpoint, the party finds out from Sheriff Belor that a series of gruesome murders has plagued the town in the Party’s absences. The Sheriff hands Grunn a note found at the scene of the murder with the word “Grunn” written in blood on the front. The plot thickens…

The battle with the Quasit witch was especially brutal as the quasit immediately turned invisible and began summoning other creatures. A final desperate attack from Grunn finally ended the foul beast.

Upon returning to town with there new loot, our level 2 heroes were once again called upon to hunt Tsuto Kaijitsu who had just escaped from his cell in the Sandpoint Garrison.

The A-Team found Tsuto holed up in the Old Light along with some skeletons, bugbears, and a Choker. Upon realizing he was defeated Tsuto offed himself, calling upon Nualia to resurrect him for vengeance.

Our heroes then located a hidden cache of magical items including an anvil and a book reeking of overwhelming necromancy.

Droli immediately went to Grunn and opened the book (much to the DMs pleasure) resulting in Grunn and Droli being rendered unconscious and with temporary curses.

Our first RotRL Adventure!

Our unlikely band of heroes arrived in the town of Sandpoint just as the swallowtail Festival was starting.

Festival Games:
Droli partook of the Hagfish water challenge! With her Strix constitution she was able to drink the murky water without puking! (a challenge few in the town have succeeded at)

Alcor managed to ring the bell in the OGRE Stomp (Test of strength) and was rewarded with a stuffed bear.

Thoughts from a local NPC – “I saw that dwarf carrying around a stuffed bear attached to an axe. I could swear I saw him caressing it…”

Droli partook of the Ogre Stomp and ended up breaking the bell with her superior strength! Everyone gave a hearty cheer except of the proprietor of the game, who had to repair the bell.

Grunn challenged Larz the Tanner to arm wrestling, luckily for Grunn the heavily muscled man had consumed a bit too much ale and Grunn emerged victorious!

As the Festival wore on and our heroes partook of free food an drink, the unthinkable happened! Sandpoint came under attack by a horde of Goblins!

Aeren (the young boy who’s father was later killed by the Goblin Commando stuck under his house) watched in horror as a goblin with a torch lit a stray cat on fire!! -Oh no!

The heroes valiantly fought off a number of goblin incursions as the night went on.

Early on one of the goblins was captured, and revealed that the goblins were working for a “longshanks” with pointy ears.

Finally, they came upon Aldern Foxglove and his faithful hound defending themselves from a Goblin commando riding a goblin dog. The goblin commando was dispatched efficiently while the other three goblins were able to run circles around our heroes, evading blades and ankle shanking! The goblin dog went after Grunn, but its attempt to bite the Thunderer were in vain.

Once the goblins were defeated the townsfolk ran the remainder of the goblins out of town.

That night, Alcor experiences a realistic dream in which he witnesses a group of large 3 eyed fish-with-tentacles performing a ritual to annihilate the culture of a planet with a meteoric impact.

The Town of Sandpoint was grateful to the heroes, offering them a free stay at the Rusty Dragon inn and various rewards (Alcor, bag of holding, Droli fresh baked bread, everyone 20% of at Savah’s Armory).

Father Zantus discovered one of the vaults in the boneyard was found with an open door following the goblin attack from the night before. Our heroes accompanied Sheriff Belor to the investigate the desecrated vault. Our heroes discovered multiple sets of goblin prints along with a single set of humanoid prints leading to the vault.

After dispatching the shambling undead who waited within, it was discovered that the bones of Father Ezakien Tobyn had been stolen.

As the plot thickens, the Sheriff hires our merry band of warriors to stay and protect the town for another week.

Gavin is approached by a voluptuous maiden who asks him to help with her “rat problem”. She proceeds to lure him down into a rat free basement and take advantage of him. Her father arrives just in time to see him touching her on the cot without her brassier on! Luckily Gavin’s diplomacy skills are second to none, and he is able to talk his way out of this potentially violent situation.

Following the events, Alcor asks Grunn, “What was the whole rat thing about?” Grunn (acting as the arbiter of social norms within the group…) proceeds to compare the fair maiden to a dwarf woman with a fine-ass beard.

Upon returning to the Rusty Dragon, Aldern Foxglove is awake and asks the party to come boar hunting with him. It is noted by the party at this point that Aldern is quite taken by Grunn’s heroic nature… Aldern proceeds to purchase spears and mounts for the hunting party, showing off his extravagant wealth. The boar hunt begins with Droli swooping in and taking Grunn’s kill, followed by Aldern’s quick take down of his own boar.

The party returns to the Rusty Dragon to feast on the boars that they slayed. Lonjiku Kaijitsu then bursts into the Inn in a rage looking to drag his daughter Ameiko back to a mansion in Magnimar. Grunn (ever the diplomatic half-Orc) and Droli intervene to prevent the raging older man from causing a scene. He storms off after Ameiko brains him with her soup laddle.

The stories about the “Late Unpleasantness” come to the fore as the three events are discussed which all began on the same day:
1. The fire that began in the old Sandpoint church and resulted in the Death of the old Father Tobyn and his adopted daughter Nualia.
2. Lonjiku Kaijitsu’s wife’s death over the balcony of his mansion.
3. The “Chopper Murders” in Sandpoint in which multiple citizens were murdered before the perpetrator committed suicide.

That night, Droli experiences a vivid dream in which she is in a catacomb with red runes flashing on the walls. She hears a demonic cackle followed by the flapping of leathery wings before she awakens.

A goblin commando is discovered, and defeated by the “Sandpoint Goblin Slayers” as it had been hiding in the local Barret house. Although the heroes protected the family, Alergast Barret was killed and partially devoured by the goblin commando.

As Ameiko goes missing, a letter from her half (and half elf) brother Tsuto is discovered leading to a battle with goblins at the local glassworks. In the basement, Ameiko is rescued and Tsuto is defeated. Tsuto’s journal is discovered, revealing the plan to destroy Sandpoint utilizing goblins.

A few other things discovered in the journal –
1. Through the Smugglers tunnel, there is a catacomb containing a Quasit. Alcor’s arcane knowledge revealed the Quasit as an Extra-planar demon.
2. Nualia is alive and commanding the golbins. She has some plan to purge her “Celestial taint” and become a demon.
3. Tsuto hints that Nualias plan is to free something known as Malfeshnekor.

The heroes explore the Smuggler’s tunnel and locate the entrance to the catacombs. As Alcor witnesses the runes flickering upon the walls, he realized the arcane runes are those used by the ancient Thassilonians. Alcor also recalled there being an Expert on the Ancient Thassilonians in Sandpoint.

The heroes divied up the loot, and returned Tsuto to town for imprisonment.

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.